Post Hypnotic Suggestion
by AJlovesKakashi
Summary: They were sent on a low-level mission. Easy for two Jonin, right? Wrong. When Sakura and Shikamaru arrive back from a two month mission as a couple, Tsunade puts the pissed-off Ino and the angry Naruto on the case. What will they discover? What happened?
1. An Unlikely Couple

Maybe I'm a masochist.

That is the only explanation as to WHY I would start a new story despite my other two in progress fics.

Well, there's also my justification:

This is based off of the hypnotism section of my AP Psychology book and the longer I wait to type it, the longer my brain has to forget the information.

Good, right?

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I wouldn't have had time to sleep until one in the afternoon today. Do I own Naruto? Nope!

-o0-

Post Hypnotic Suggestion

-o0-

"Alright, your mission is a low-class escort of a merchant to his home village." Tsunade raised her eyebrow, "It shouldn't be too difficult, given that you're both _over_-qualified for this mission."

"Troublesome," a lazy, Jonin-class nin sighed hopelessly.

"But, Tsunade-shishou, if it's so low, why have two Jonin assigned to it?" her apprentice questioned haughtily. "There's no reason for Shikamaru and I to be assigned on this mission! Why not send a genin team?"

Tsunade merely sighed and peered at the two in front of her. It was an experiment really to see how well the two most intelligent of their class worked together for possible future missions, but the Godaime already had an excuse for them: "What am I supposed to do, Sakura? Have a repeat of your team's first C-rank mission?"

"Well, no…"

"Exactly. If you two aren't out of the village by nightfall, I swear I will hunt you both down personally and force you from the village," Tsunade commanded. "Dismissed!"

Both Sakura and Shikamaru bowed respectfully before exiting the stifling office of the Hokage and walked together for some time even as they made their way down the streets of Konoha. They were silent, but not uncomfortably so.

"So…Shikamaru, as leader, what time are we leaving?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence.

"We'll meet with the client first, but we'll leave at roughly two in the afternoon," the lazy man sighed. "It's all so troublesome."

Sakura didn't respond, but kept pace with his slow gait. She internally planned every item she would need to pack; Shikamaru's time frame didn't allow much room for packing. "Where are we meeting the merchant?"

"Ichiraku's."

"Oh, alright then."

-o0-

Two Months Later

-o0-

The two strolled into the village happily, hands clutching and blissful smiles as they gazed at each other. They ignored the disbelieving stares and gasps of the two stationed at the gate, merely continuing on to the Hokage's office.

Tsunade herself stared flabbergasted at the scene before her…so unusual in that this particular couple hadn't even seemed remotely interested in the other prior to the mission. She was struck with the notion that _something_ was off with the couple…the giggles of her apprentice, the doting nature of the usually lazy strategist…something was wrong, and she'd be damned if she didn't figure it out.

"Would you two care to explain why you seem like a couple?" the Godaime asked straightforwardly.

"Oh, Shishou! How could you be so silly!" Sakura giggled. "We've been engaged for the longest time!"

Oh yes, Tsunade **knew** something was wrong.

-o0-

Ino Yamanaka was the best friend a person could have. At least…in her own mind. This wasn't exactly what was running through her mind when she encountered her best friend and her teammate making out in front of Ichiraku's.

"Sakura?" Ino cried out in shock, harshly clutching her friend's arm as she dragged the pink-haired girl away from the disappointed shadow-user. "What the hell are you doing?" Ino screeched angrily.

"I was…"

"Moving in on my boyfriend!" Ino finished, eyes popping from her sockets.

"No! I was with my fiancé," Sakura sighed dazedly, ignoring Ino's pissed off expression.

Ino was beside herself with anger and was on the verge of telling off her nearly former best friend, when Genma arrived in a flurry of smoke. "Hey, Tsunade wants to see you, Ino."

"She can go fu-"  
"Now, sweets," Genma said, pulling her away from Sakura. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Tsunade thinks that something weird is going on, so don't do anything stupid."

Ino huffed angrily as she formed the hand seals to exit the upsetting scene, leaving Genma alone as he watched Shikamaru and Sakura instantly grab each other. He nearly stayed staring at the couple, feeling his own temperature rising…until the pissed off Ino appeared next to him, grabbed him, and hauled him into the office of the pissed off Tsunade, "You voyeur! If you don't get your dumb ass to Shizune and tell her how much you love her, I'll make sure to send you on the most basic mission that even a genin would outrank it!" Tsunade hissed as Genma ran out the door and straight into the arms of his girlfriend.

"Tsunade! I want answers!" Ino cried, bringing her hand down on the older woman's desk, "Shika and I have been dating for nearly three months! What the hell is going on?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but I am willing to allow you and one other person to investigate. You have a week to choose a partner, then a week to gather any information you can from Shikamaru and Sakura. After that, you and your chosen partner will recreate the mission, which entails that you take the same path and interrogate anyone that they interacted with," Tsunade said seriously.

"Fine," the younger girl spun on her heel to leave the office.

"But," Tsunade began, making the girl pause, "I want you to keep in mind that they may not be doing this willingly. Sakura told me last night that they've been engaged for a year. Do you believe that?"

Ino spun around again to face the Hokage, "Definitely not!"

"Exactly. I believe that neither one of them has any clue what it is they're doing. So, I don't want you to 'confront' either one of them. Play along to gather information," Tsunade commanded. "You wanted so badly to be assigned to Intelligence? Do this right and I'll make it happen."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Dismissed."

-o0-

Ino walked down the bleak streets of Konoha. It was a perfectly sunny day, but Ino's perception was anything but.

Two years of planning went into her getting Shikamaru's attention and the last three months had brought that plan to fruition. Granted, she and Shikamaru had only dated one month before he was sent on a two-month mission with forehead. She couldn't believe that Sakura would betray her after her advice and help…but still Ino wanted to blame and hate her.

With her internal monologue, Ino didn't even register when an arm slung over her shoulder and a voice began talking. "…Baa-chan wanted me to talk to you. She didn't really tell me anything, but imagine my surprise when I saw you! So, what's up, Ino-chan?"

Ino recovered enough to breathe calmly and remove his arm from her shoulders, "Let's go take a walk Naruto. You haven't seen Sakura yet, right?"

"Sakura-chan's back? Let's go, Ino!" Naruto hauled Ino around the corner in his desperate search for his favorite crush.

Although Ino severely wished to scream at him for dirtying her clothes, she could only smile happily to herself. _'Thanks, Tsunade…now I'll have Shika to myself in no time,'_ Ino thought with her tone of sincere maliciousness, one she reserved only for when she knew she'd get _exactly_ what she wanted.

-o0-

-o0-

-o0-

-o0-

Yes, yes I know. Not the best opening chapter in the world…

But, I can guarantee that it'll get better and I'll update faster than my other stories because this entire thing has been planned out for the last three months.

I can also guarantee that my writing skills are far better than what is displayed in this chapter.

Unfortunately, I started writing this the day I decided to sleep in until one in the afternoon. Not to mention, I was watching _Dead Like Me_…then my mom and I started watching _Dexter_…so I was distracted to say the least.

So, please alert and review to keep me on track if you're interested.

Trust me, no matter how many messages for 'Favorites' I get, nothing gets me going like the death threats I get in Reviews…See, I AM a masochist!

Review and I'll love you forever (metaphorically)!

:3

AJlovesKakashi

:3

Dedicated to Bloody Diamond…who knew about this story when I first thought it up and knows that it'll get better (right?)!

Also dedicated to the gracious reviewers who leave me reviews…and who will get an enthusiastic "Thank You!" and a joke (sometimes) in return from myself.


	2. Memory Diving

Okay, I have a reason for the slow update:

My laptop needed to be worked on and the last two weeks have been pretty hectic.

I apologize for the late update! *Bows frantically*

I was doing laundry and I was thinking, "Crap! I need to update! But…I wanna draw on my tablet…NO! I must update!"

See how conflicting it is?

But hey, you get to see a little blast from the past…

Disclaimer: I know, I know…you're reading this thinking, "Ooh, yay! A witty disclaimer! Those make me laugh~!" No. I don't own Naruto…but I do wish I owned Kakashi. *creepy fangirl smile* Don't underestimate the fangirl.

-o0-

Post Hypnotic Suggestion

Chapter 2

-o0-

Ino's eyes were bulging.

She knew it wasn't the prettiest expression she'd ever made, but what could anyone expect? She was watching her best friend and boyfriend whisper and giggle happily into one another's ears; if anyone deserved to be angry, it was Yamanaka Ino.

She felt a hand settle gently on her shoulder and she snapped her head to the side to pick up Naruto's equally disturbed expression. "I need to talk to you."

They were at a bar with the "happy couple," so it wasn't difficult for Naruto and Ino to slip away from the fawning pair, so engaged with each other that they hardly noticed the departure of the two blondes.

Naruto pulled into the alley, ignoring another couple pressed against the far wall. "So, what's the plan?"

"Well, we've tried asking them outright…but they can't stop sucking face long enough to answer," Ino said bitterly, lost in thought. "I have an idea," she remarked cautiously.

"Explain, explain! The sooner we break them up, the better!" Naruto cheered.

"I've been working with a new technique that allows me to sift through someone's memories."

"That's perfect!"

"Let me finish!" she snapped. "It has a drawback. I can only get a little information at a time. It takes a lot of chakra and energy…and there are some side effects."

"Like what?" Naruto asked.

"If it's an emotional memory, I can sometimes feel those emotions, like…times twelve. Also, since I see the memory from the eyes of the person, I get a little confused about who I am when I wake up," Ino explained, "My dad and I haven't done a ton of tests yet…but those two seem to show up a lot."

"Well, we should still give it a try," Naruto thought out loud. "We only have a week to get information, so we should do whatever gets the job done."

"First we need to knock them out and take them somewhere private," Ino commanded. "I'll take Sakura and you take Shikamaru."

"Where're we going?"

"Sakura lives alone, so we'll go to her apartment."

-o0-

"You ready, Ino-chan?" Naruto asked sitting by Sakura's bed in a wooden chair he had taken from her kitchen.

Shikamaru and Sakura were both lying on the bed with a space between them. Ino crawled into the space, intertwining her fingers with the pair. "I'll dive into Sakura's memories first and then," her voice cracked slightly, indicating her fear of what she might see, "I'll dive into Shikamaru's."

"I'll be here when you wake up," Naruto said soothingly.

**-o0-**

**-o0-**

Sakura packed her things carefully, just enough for what she assumed would be a simple mission; the chances of this mission being like the Zabuza incident were extremely low in her opinion and she regarded Tsunade's caution as unwarranted.

She locked her door behind her and kissed her house key for luck, "Be back in a few weeks!" before striding away from the small building. She could smell the wonderful smells of Konoha and feel the breeze against her face; it was a truly glorious day.

Finally, Sakura arrived at the gate where Shikamaru and the client were waiting. Shikamaru gave a small wave, "You finally made it."

"Where's Ino? Didn't she come to give you a smooch?" Sakura teased good-naturedly, making fish lips at him before bursting into laughter.

"Troublesome woman," the shadow user smiled, shaking his head slowly. "We better get going."

"But really? Where's Ino-pig?"

"I don't know," Shikamaru answered hesitantly.

Sakura placed a friendly hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry. I know the pig and I have our problems, but she has told me some things…she really likes you."

"I'm sure she does, but-" Shikamaru began quietly before cutting himself off, "Let's go."

Sakura watched as he walked away slowly and whispered quietly to herself, "Where are you, Pig?"

**-o0-**

**-o0-**

Ino's eyes flew open and she breathed heavily.

"You okay, Ino-chan?" Naruto stood in his chair with a concerned face enveloping his features.

"H-how long?"

"About twenty minutes."

Ino let out a sigh as she settled herself back down against the bed, "No side effects this time…but it wasn't really an emotional memory."

"How long before you can jump into Shikamaru's memories?" Naruto asked curiously.

Ino looked at her watch and calculated the amount of chakra she had at her disposal. "Another five minutes and I should be fine."

Naruto fiddled with his headband nervously, "That fast? Won't that hurt you?"

"No. I still have enough chakra left for one more," Ino answered with a sigh, "but that's it. Any more and who know what'll happen." Ino cast a glance back down at her watch, "Alright, it's time."

"Good luck, Ino-chan!" Naruto smiled comfortingly, reminding her of Sakura's attempts to comfort Shikamaru.

Ino gingerly clutched Shikamaru's hand and let the darkness overtake her.

**-o0-**

**-o0-**

Shikamaru sat across from his pink haired teammate and watched as she chuckled at something one of the client's personal bodyguards said. He couldn't define what it was that made him wish for her to talk to him…but he kept reliving her playfulness that morning. The way she had made the exaggerated fish face hadn't been particularly funny or romantic, but he'd been overcome with the temptation to kiss her.

Instantly, Shikamaru thought of Ino. Her blonde flowing hair…her feminine curves…but the image wasn't enough for him. Ino wasn't…

"Shikamaru? Hello?" a voice snapped him from his reverie.

"What?"

"You spaced out. Come on, there aren't any clouds out to watch! You can't space out!" she laughed.

"I was thinking."

"Typical genius," she threw her hands in the air comically. "You are the smartest person I know and you can't keep your mind on one joke!"

So the bodyguard had been telling a joke, Shikamaru deduced. "You're the smartest girl I know and you're being unusually playful today," he countered.

"I am?" her face colored as she seemed to ponder his statement. "Must be all those years of being on a team with Naruto, he gets to you after awhile."

Shikamaru instantly thought about her words with jealousy, _'Naruto's known her longer than I have and he likes her…had Naruto ever told her? I know she's blown him off before but that was before…'_ Shikamaru spat, "…the Uchiha left."

"Excuse me?" Sakura's tone darkened. Sakura was standing with her hands on her hips angrily. "What did you say?"

"I-"

"Good night!" Sakura yelled sternly as she marched to her tent.

Sakura had called him a genius, but he felt like the biggest idiot he had ever known.

**-o0-**

**-o0-**

Ino shot up again and before Naruto could ask if she was okay, she burst into tears. "Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!"

"Ino-chan?"

"You!" Ino roared, "Couldn't you have told Sakura you loved her before all this? If you had been man enough to get Sakura, there's no way Shikamaru would think about her that way!"

"I-" Naruto blinked rapidly. "I-I'm sorry?" he apologized.

"Idiot! Idiot! Dumbass! Bastard! I'm not good enough? I tried so hard to get you to notice me and you go for my best friend! Damn it, Shikamaru!" Ino screamed beating on the unconscious ninja's chest mercilessly until Naruto deemed it time to restrain her.

"What happened?" Naruto asked, pulling her into a hug to stop her furious assault.

Ino cried unhappily and explained the whole thing to him.

-o0-

-o0-

-o0-

-o0-

Well?

Good update?

Review?

Tell me what you think?

I'll go Ino on you if you don't. TIMES 12!

XP

AJlovesKakashi

P.S. Thank you to those who loved the first chapter enough to review and alert!

I loooove you (figuratively-I don't really have a heart. :)!


	3. Anko's Pills

Well, hope you had a happy SAD day.

**S**ingles

**A**wareness

**D**ay

This flashback chapter is for Ino…

Sorry it took so long to finish and upload. Life- *sigh* What can you do?

Disclaimer: Too tired to be witty. I do not own Naruto.

-o0-

Post Hypnotic Suggestion

Chapter 3

-o0-

"I can't believe…" Naruto began.

"Believe it!" Ino snapped angrily.

Naruto thought for a second as a wry smile overtook him, "Hey, Ino-chan, you know what you just said?" His eyebrows wriggled a bit.

"Oh shut up, Naruto," Ino rolled her eyes but chuckled a bit.

"So, when can you jump again?" he asked her carefully.

She sighed in response and felt out her own energy reserves, "Maybe an hour and a half if I sleep."

"Oh." Naruto clutched his chin in thought, "I was just thinking…"

"That's a first," Ino snorted.

"Ahem!" he shot her a look, "What if I gave you some of my chakra?"

Ino lied back against the bed and shut her eyes, deep in thought as she pondered the possibility of accepting Naruto's chakra. Naruto had an incredibly large supply, but there was still the matter of whether or not Ino's body would reject the offering. "We'll try I suppose…"

"Alright, but…uh…how do I do…that?" Naruto scratched his neck nervously. "Do I like, touch your shoulder and _will_ it to you or something?"

Ino groaned and rolled her eyes again. "Haven't you ever given chakra to Forehead on a mission?"

"No."

"You'd think that with your team's injury rate…Yes, Naruto, you grab my hand and will me the chakra. Now, shut up and do it!" Ino reached over Sakura's unconscious body and grabbed Naruto's hand forcibly.

"A-alright! No need to be all touchy…unless…you wanna?"

Ino shot him a glare, "I just found out that my boyfriend doesn't love me and probably never has; you wanna run that by me again?"

"No, ma'am." Naruto screwed his eyes shut and tapped into his pulsing chakra system, trying to picture the chakra travelling to his hand and into Ino's.

"Okay, that's good, Naruto." Naruto switched off the floodgate and opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times.

"Are you going to jump now?"

"Yeah," Ino sighed, grabbing onto Sakura's hand, "Let's go, Forehead."

**-o0-**

**-o0-**

They walked along in silence, side by side. Sakura was in a rather irritable mood although it had been a week since Shikamaru had brought up the taboo subject of Uchiha Sasuke. He hadn't bothered to apologize, and that's what had set her off.

"I'm sorry."

Sakura stopped in her tracks and turned her head to gaze at him, eyebrow raised and an expression of incredulity upon her face. "You're apologizing?"

"You were ignoring me."

Sakura scoffed and faced forward, continuing their journey. "Never thought you would apologize; you're not really the type."

"So you know what type I am?"

"We play shogi weekly, I think I know a little about how you think," she replied sarcastically. "But if you're asking if I know your type, I imagine that it's busty blondes."

"You don't imagine well then," Shikamaru chuckled.

"So, you don't have a thing for Tsunade?" she laughed as Shikamaru shot her a look. "If that's not your type, what is?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

They let the silence overcome them again and Sakura yawned with boredom. The group had awoken early that day and she was definitely feeling the effects.

"Why don't you take a soldier pill?" Shikamaru suggested.

"I would, but if you remember, my pack was damaged when we were attacked the other day. My pills are gone," she explained.

Shikamaru reached into his pack and pulled out a small bag, "Mine are kinda mixed up…but if you wanna take a chance…"

"Are a few of them experimental?"

"Anko gave me a few new ones," he confessed.

"Anko?" Sakura shuddered.

"She said they were from Shizune."

"If you take one, I'll take one," she sighed.

"Deal." He handed her one of the small pills and they took them at the same time.

**-o0-**

**-o0-**

"Ino-chan?"

She sat up quickly and cast curious glances at the two beside her, "For two smart people…Naruto, would you ever take any kind of pills that Anko gave you?"

"Hell no! She's crazy!" he declared, shaking his head furiously.

"Well, guess what these two idiots did?"

"They didn't-!" Naruto looked horrified at the very idea. "What happened?"

"We'll see." Ino sat back and sighed deeply, "Onward."

**-o0-**

**-o0-**

"How do you feel?" Shikamaru asked.

"I feel fine. You?" Sakura let out the breath she'd been holding.

Shikamaru closed his eyes briefly, "I don't feel a thing." They shared a laugh and broke into formation: Sakura in front of the travelling party and Shikamaru following.

"Sakura-chan?" the elderly merchant called from his wagon.

Sakura fell back to walk beside the wooden cart, nearly tripping over a small pothole in the dirt of the path they followed. "Sir?"

"How many more days of travelling?" he sighed with weariness. "I'm anxious to return."

"Well, because of that attack, we have to go through a small village not too far from here to get more supplies. We'll stay the night at a small hot spring and we'll set off the next day." Sakura gave him a priceless smile, "We'll arrive before you know it!"

"I certainly hope so, I have business to attend to."

"Only two hours or so, sir, until the small village," she waved, walking away from him. _'What an impatient prick!'_

"Sakura," she turned to see her comrade limping toward her.

"Shika, what-?"

"…I…" she observed with horror as he collapsed to the ground and Sakura rushed to halt the oxen pulling the cart before they could harm the unconscious boy.

"What's the hold up?" the client snapped.

"Shikamaru collapsed! I'm sorry, sir, we have to stop here for the night!" she called, trying to keep her contempt for the impatient merchant from her worried tone.

"This is an inconvenience…I thought that by hiring two Jonin the trip would go smoother. Tch, what useless ninja!" the old man mumbled.

"Would you rather be attacked and down one defender? No?" Sakura clenched her fists as she knelt by Shikamaru's form. "We'll be stopping here."

"Fine, useless damn ninja…"

Sakura bit her bottom lip, _'Mother fucker! I can't beat up the client…but he's rubbing salt in a very sore wound…Shikamaru, Shikamaru, focus on Shikamaru,'_ she distracted herself, checking his pulse and feeling his forehead; he wasn't feverish, but she needed to diagnose him more closely. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

Five clones manifested and she ordered them to set up tents, moving Shikamaru into the first available.

"Is that all, ma'am?" a clone asked.

" One of you deal with the client too. He's an asshole, but don't injure or yell at him," she commanded as she tried to pull Shikamaru's shirt off. "I need some help too." Two clones knelt on either side and began to help her, the last clone wavering nervously without a task.

"Is there anything for me?"

"Yes, get me some water and heat it up with chakra. Hurry!"

"Ma'am!" the clone ran out of the tent, content with her task.

Sakura placed a glowing hand on his bare chest, "Hang on, Shikamaru."

**-o0-**

**-o0-**

"No more!" Ino screamed, reaching her breaking point.

"Ino-chan?" Naruto leaned toward her, worried for her sanity. "Are you okay?"

Ino panted heavily, brushing his hand away as she regained her composure. She was at her mental breaking point and she knew that one more jump would surely kill her. "I can't do anymore."

"It's okay, Ino-chan! We learned lots!" he reassured, "We still have time to learn the rest, so you don't have to push yourself!"

"I know that!" she snapped. Naruto's expression must have conveyed his sadness at her tone, because Ino instantly regretted her words. "I-I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm just really tired."

"I understand," Naruto nodded. "Can you walk by yourself?"

She sighed and tried to climb over Sakura's unconscious body, before crying out. "Ugh-!"

Naruto was there in an instant, picking her up. "I'll take you home, Ino-chan."

She merely nodded and then shifted her gaze to the bed, "What about Shikamaru? He'll wake up in Sakura's apartment."

"I think they would have ended up here anyway," he answered sadly as he exited the apartment, Ino cradled in his arms.

"You're probably right about that." Ino felt the soft breeze flowing gently through the streets of Konoha, stirring the trees and loose bits of littered paper. Feeling that wind break against her face was magical, a nostalgic wafting that carried her back to days when a similar wind had brushed against her face and made her feel free…

"Ino-chan," Naruto whispered gently, "we're at your house and I dunno what to do."

Her closed lids slid open and she sighed, "Haven't you ever sneaked into a girl's room before?"

He shifted uncomfortably and gulped, he hadn't.

"Time to learn then."

-o0-

-o0-

-o0-

-o0-

I'm so tired…

You got an update.

You have no idea how hard it is to write while you lay your head down on your bed because you stayed up until five in the morning reading fanfiction and were woken up three hours later for breakfast that you could have gone without.

Even now, my eyelids are drooping and I feel close to collapsing…

Did I just make you tired?

Anyway, although short, I would greatly appreciate motivation by way of reviews.

Those of you that just favorite and never leave me some kind words of encouragement, I know who you are! DUN DUN DUN!

Those of you that do review will receive a plate of cookies and my undying happiness…and a quicker update.

AJlovesKakashi

P.S. I have three ongoing stories, so the one that I'm pestered about more gets an update. Get it?

Thanks for reading.


	4. ReCreation

I'm sorry it's been so long, folks! Unfortunately, I was greatly swamped by life.

Plus my computer has been having so many problems and the only working computer in my household is my mother's…which she needs.

So, I apologize again.

Ah, if this chapter sucks, it's because I've been in a pretty bad mood today and it's around midnight. So yeah…

It may be a little inconsistent compared to the last chapter, but it's because it's been FOREVER since I've written for this story.

*shakes head*

What did I say?

"The story I'm bugged about most gets an update."

But in that case, all of my readers fail!

*gives everyone an F and steals their cookies*

Disclaimer: Nope. No mocking today. Do not own.

-o0-

Post Hypnotic Suggestion

Chapter 3

"Recreation"

-o0-

-o0-

"So you've gathered all your Intel?" Tsunade asked the pair before her.

"Until a certain point," Ino answered, "In particular, there were two spots in which both of their memory is blank; one of them including from the point when they left the village the client jerk betrayed them until the current time."

"So you have no leads as to the origin of their strange behavior?" Tsunade's brow furrowed.

"Actually, their memory before the first blackout directly points to the cause," Ino explained, "The client took them to a fair."

"A fair? And how does this explain anything?" the Hokage turned on the male blond who'd been fairly quiet since the beginning of the conversation.

Naruto sighed and looked to his companion, "Ino says that it's a hypnotist's show. Apparently, they were volunteered by the client guy and they went up to the stage. That's when the blackout happens, Baa-chan."

"Hypnotism, hm?" Tsunade lowered her head in thought and came to a decision, "Alright, your mission really starts here! Find that hypnotist and interrogate him! You are to leave as soon as possible!"

"Hai!" the two blondes chorused. The two left quickly and grabbed their packs from outside the door; they'd come prepared to leave.

"Ready, Ino?" Naruto nodded.

"Definitely," Ino confirmed. "We have to make it back before **that** date."

-o0-

Naruto set down his bowl quietly, his blue eyes nearly swarming with tears, "Ino-chan?"

"What?" she snapped.

He shifted uncomfortably and looked into the fire of their campsite, "Are you sure we're doing the right thing, dattebayo?"

She looked momentarily taken aback and quickly resumed her steel coating, "Of course. Their relationship shouldn't exist anyway because Shikamaru was with me."

"But you know that Shikamaru really felt that―"

"What did I tell you, Naruto?" Ino stood quickly, her bowl spilling over onto the cold forest ground, "They weren't together when they left and Sakura didn't want to hurt me so she gave him the cold shoulder! They **weren't** together!"

"But," Naruto looked pained, "they were attracted to each other, huh?"

"We're not discussing this, Naruto! And even if they were allowed to be together, would you accept it under these circumstances? I refuse!" Ino marched away into the tent, "You get first watch!"

Naruto looked up into the black sky with eyes that reflected his inner turmoil, "Sakura-chan…"

-o0-

"Is this the place?" Naruto inquired.

Ino looked around and inspected the town carefully, comparing it to what she had seen in her memories. "I think so."

"So how do we find this hypnotist guy, dattebayo?"

She sighed and glared at him, "The old fashioned way. We'll divide and conquer. Did you bring the headsets?"

"Yep, I brought 'em! Just like you told me to!" Naruto dug through his pack and pulled the wires and earpieces from the depths of his messy bag. "I even changed the batteries, dattebayo!"

"Did you forget that we're on a serious mission?" she snapped, "Get your head in the game, Naruto, or we won't make it back to the village on time!"

"H-Hai, Ino-chan," he nodded, setting his own headset into place, "Channel 7, okay?"

"Right. We'll meet up in an hour if neither of us finds the guy."

Ino was ready to leave but Naruto jutted his hand out quickly, "Matte, Ino-chan!"

"What is it!"

"A-Ano, how will I," Naruto asked shyly, "know what he looks like, 'ttebayo?"

Her eyes rolled and she gave him an exasperated stare, "You wait until **now** to bring this up? Come here, baka."

Naruto approached his volatile companion and she rested one hand on his forehead, forming a seal with the other, and the images flashed by in Naruto's mind. He could see the man clearly, almost like a photograph, and he nodded, "Alright, I got it! See you soon, Ino-chan!"

Ino turned around and allowed a small quirk of her lips, "What an idiot…"

-o0-

"Ino-chan! Ino-chan! I've found him! I've found him, dattebayo!" Naruto cried hysterically through the headset.

"Jeez, Naruto! Keep it down!" Ino complained, "You're so loud, I'm gonna be deaf!"

"I found him though, Ino-chan! Isn't that good?"

"Of course, idiot," Ino yelled, "Now give me the damn address!"

"Yare, yare," Naruto's voice pouted, "Fine, Ino-chan…"

-o0-

"So, you kids had something to talk to me about, right?" the man asked in a friendly tone as he brought them each a cup of tea.

"Yes, sir!" Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Do you remember a really pretty, pink-haired girl and a lazy bastard?"

"Naruto," Ino rolled her eyes, "shut up."

Naruto shrugged and guzzled the tea happily as the old man's face darkened, "So you want to know about that incident, eh?"

"Our friends are in some crazy relationship that is just not right, so we need to ask you how to break it," Ino took a dignified sip of her tea as she waited for a reply.

The man was in his early forties with tanned skin and a black, ridiculously pointed beard befitting a magician of his status, one that played at county fairs to make end's meat. He drank his tea, considering his story before beginning. "I remember those two. They were a little awkward at first, but I could tell they were the right sort for the hypnotism routine I was doing."

"Which would be…?" Ino asked.

"Well, a romantic one. See, it goes like this," he began to explain, "I hypnotized them so that when the wedding march plays, they believe they are a lovey-dovey couple and then release them from their hold with a special word."

"So what happened, dattebayo?" Naruto asked, the fascination on his face apparent.

"The fair was attacked by the man they were escorting just after I woke them up to begin the routine. They helped several people, including myself, to escape the chaos."

"Do you know how the hypnotism went into effect even though you didn't start the routine?"

The man scratched his head, "Not really…eh! I remember reading about a wedding in the newspaper that morning on the outskirts of town, so it's possible that they heard the wedding march while they were passing by."

"I suppose that makes sense," Ino nodded. "How do we break it?"

"Now hold on there, missy," the man held up a hand, "I think there's one thing about post-hypnotic suggestion you need to understand― no one does something that they don't want to. Even if it's deep within their psyche, the will to do whatever the hypnotist wants someone to do has to be there. That's why I thought they were perfect for the routine."

"Either way, we have to break it," Ino said with absolute authority. "Neither one wants to live a life married to someone they didn't even date first."

"Well, to break it, just say the word 'Cheeseburger,' " the man shrugged. "It should wake them both up immediately."

Naruto cracked up into laughter, "Nice! 'Cheeseburger,' hah! If it had been 'ramen' instead, I could've broken it super easy, dattebayo!"

Ino sent him a sobering glance of irritation and she rose to her feet, "Thank you, sir. We appreciate your help."

"Just remember what I told you about hypnotism, missy," he shrugged, leading them to the exit of his quaint house.

-o0-

-o0-

-o0-

-o0-

Well, it's short and not the greatest chapter I've ever written, but the next chapter is the conflict!

DUN DUN DUN!

Review, subscribe, whatever~

AJlovesKakashi


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